STOP USING STUDIES TO AVOID ACTION

If studying problems were the same as solving them, Florida would be virtually trouble-free.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. But that didn't stop the 1993 Legislature from following the well-worn path of its predecessors by miring itself in such trivialities as gender-neutralizing the Florida statutes while assigning commissions, task forces and studies to everything else.

In fact, their successful effort to avoid tackling anything that might be difficult, important and/or a threat to re-election, led the legislators to add more than 25 new state advisory boards to the 350-plus boards that were already in existence.

Take Florida's No. 1 ranking in violent crime: The lawmakers passed that hot potato to a Florida Violent Crime Council.

Five new studies will be devoted to minorities alone. Hazardous waste disposal will get a good looking at.

The Packaging Council will study goals for recycled contents in manufactured goods.

Useless but harmless? Not necessarily.

Problems don't improve with age. And these advisory boards cost money. Sometimes a lot of money. All of it yours.